I Put The Luxury Cruise Line Regent To The Test!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 มิ.ย. 2024
- I was having a great time on my recent Regent Seven Seas cruise before I started speaking to fellow guests. Some first-timers as well as long-time regulars raised issues which made me wonder if I was being too forgiving. After all, the trip had cost me a lot and it is worth being picky!
So, after digesting it all and taking on board their thoughts, here’s what I believe the line does well, differently, and what doesn’t work for everyone - and why.
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It looks perfect for me, except for the dinner situation. As a solo traveler, I rarely want to sit around and wait for multi-course service. My dining mate, Lady iPad, feels the same.
Yes! As you heard I’m very much with you on that 👍🏻
I'm a solo traveller and I am not taking my iPad to dinner on a Regent cruise. Regent have a "Social Hostess" and their job is to socilalise with solo travellers for pre-dinner cocktails and dinner. They do a stellar job IMHO. Havig said all that, it would be good if the Pool Grill could open longer for buffet-style "quality fast food" when you're too dog tired after a long full day excursion.
Cette Mari does a buffet every night as well as a la carte.
As a solo traveller I found it fine.
Interesting, Gary. Keep up the good work. I find you are the most unbiased cruise commentator that I follow.
Thanks for watching. Great to hear your feedback as that’s definitely what I’m trying right now be …!
I agree 👍🏽
Great video on the pros and cons of Regent Gary. I like your approach discussing the negatives and positives of each cruise line. Too many cruise influencers give me the impression that they are just trying to sell me something. You are the best in this category.
Watching these videos is an excellent alternative to cruising itself. Many thanks for the vicarious enjoyment.
I am not a cruiser, but I enjoy watching your videos. You are extremely concise for anyone looking to cruise. However it seems like a lot of work to do for a vacation. Safe travels. 🇨🇦
one can go to Sette Mari any time after it is open and if a table of YOUR CHOICE is not available they usually suggest you have a drink at the Observation Lounge and they will phone the bar to let you know your table is available. So whilst you cannot make a reservation, it is a good system.
You made an interesting comparison between RC and Regent pricing. We’ve done the large ship with the bustle, noise and extra charges for everything. It was disappointing. Sounds like we need to try a luxury line cruise! Thanks for these videos. They are so informative and helpful. Happy cruising!
The large ships aren’t for us, the largest (and first ever cruise was Celebrity Solstice which we really liked) but have done Princess, Saga and this September/October Regent. We really liked Regent, loved how everything is already paid for/included!! We did pay way less than the full fare and said we wouldn’t ever pay full fare as we didn’t think it would be value for money at that cost. I would use them again, however what we did note was that Saga was very similar in that it was extremely well run, great staff and food, lots included in the fare and the ship was very new so was in better condition than SS Voyager as the furnishings were newer. It was lovely to not think about having to lay for anything at all, all cruise long though and we had a great trip in the Mediterranean.
Spot on sir ! In the last year my wife and I went on three cruises. Two on Regent and one on Royal Caribbean. After factoring in all the extra things Royal Caribbean gouges you on you end up paying pretty much the same as you would for the Regent cruise only fare.
I've recently completed the 15 day Tokyo to Bangkok cruise on the Regent Explorer and agree with the vast majority of the video content. I learnt that for the previous 'round Japan cruises, my cruise, and, the subsequent Bangkok to Bali cruise, the ship has been / will be completely full. No doubt this inevitably has an impact on restaurant service. Another dinner reservation-related and service-related factor has to be the demographic of passengers cruising with Regent. Much older folk. And the oldies go for dinner much earlier. Speaking to wait staff, Sette Mari always has tables 8pm onwards. Sette Mari is also half the capacity of La Veranda.
(Phenomenal video editing Gary; the speedy slick scene switches is forcing me to watch the video a second time!)
FWIW, I do notice the Regent three day pre-cruise tours end up with the vanilla corporate hotels. I booked the Concierge grade cabin and got one night Tokyo hotel pre-cruise. The one night hotels seem to be the higher end vanilla corporate hotels 🙂,
Gary thanks for the Explorer review. Your points of view are generally in line with ours and we watch all of your videos. Most of your Regent comments are spot on. Regarding the lack of casual evening dining, you are correct, and Seabourn has the identical issue. The lack of change in dining menus is an issue with Seabourn also. We’d love menus that change based on the area we are cruising. We have cruised Regent multiple times and our experience has been different in these respects: we always easily get a res for each specialty restaurant, well before the cruise. This is the same for all suite classes. Everyone, including penthouse and higher, gets one res only in each restaurant. More are available after boarding. Correction re air travel, EVERY suite category, not just penthouse and above, has the same options, which includes business class air on international flights. Excursions: for the same Japan cruise in Oct ‘24, as yours in ‘23, we booked our excursions several weeks after they opened, and we got every one we wanted, no problem. Clearly, people have different experiences.
So exciting that you're coming to South Africa!
Love all the lectures! CANT have too many for me 😄
Quiet activities are perfect.
It’s always nice to see your videos and have a merry Christmas and a happy new year
Thanks for watching. Much appreciated! happy Christmas and New year to you too!
We came back from our first Regent trip this autumn. Really enjoyed the experience and how much is included. We had a pre cruise stay and our hotel was a nice one (apart from the breakfast chaos and checkout the morning of embarkation). We enjoyed the food and really liked at there was a good range of food on the left side of the menu always available and could mix and match with the daily menu which was new each day. The library was very well stocked and staff were excellent. It was lovely having laundry included and certainly presented beautifully when it was delivered back to the room - I told hubby not to expect tissue wrapped laundry service at home! All in all it was a lovely trip and really nice not to have think about paying for anything all trip. We had a suite but paid a lot less than full price and having been said we don’t think full price would be value for money when we consider what we actually paid. As far as all inclusive and included speciality dining and excellent service we had similar on a Saga cruise (excursions were extra) and found them to be well worth trying again in the future. I might not be the youngest on board in a few years too 😂
The ship and the desserts looked stunning!
Thank you for sharing.
Absolutely spot on. We have been on regent a number of times and are now looking elsewhere because their food is so predictable and it never changes. Hotels also poor before leaving - especially Hong Kong. Lovely staff.
Gary i enjoyed your review & comparison, liked seeing the areas! I had thought sail Regent many yrs ago; kept with Oceania & HAL. May look into again😊
Thank you for this video, Gary. My sister and I only cruise with Oceania and Regent because the all-inclusive price is a more relaxing way to travel. We love both lines, however we book our own pre-hotel stays and air separately now. Regent's pre-hotel included stays have been disappointing to say the least.
Great video, per usual 😊 Thanks for all that you do!
My pleasure!
Thanks Gary. I always look forward to your luxury/ultra luxury videos. We are not typical cruisers that go out several times a year, but when we take a holiday we do like the best. Last year we were on Silversea for a 2 week tour of Britain, Scotland and Ireland. Love, love, loved it! I am very able bodied, my husband is not. Silversea is very good at offering included excursions for every type of traveller. And the food, drinks, shows, room service (including daily caviar if you wish) were outstanding. My husband is a homebody but it didn’t take much convincing to book another cruise on Silversea. We lucked out and will be sailing on the Nova in April for 23 days. I can’t wait to experience this ship and their S.A.L.T. Program! Thanks for the great information you provide.
My wife and I cannot wait for our first Silversea cruise this summer. Your comment makes us even more anxious to go!
@@admranger I’m sure you’ll love it. The two weeks we spent with Silversea last year was busy with excursions almost daily. We had a sea day at the end of the voyage and wished we had had more of these relaxing days just to wander the ship, read, eat, enjoy the multitude of seating areas. We were on their small ship, the Whisper, but it felt very roomy….never crowded. Enjoy your voyage!
We've been on Regent 3 times, 2 Explorer and 1 Splendor. All 3 were Conceirge suites, never penthouse. We got specialty reservations in all 3 of those restaurants long before boarding. Maybe you had to wait because you didn't book early or your suite level. Also, the Splendor has a brighter more modern look. We preferred Explorer overall.
My sister loved her vegan meals on the Regent. She loved her trip so much, I’m now going. I hope it’s good.
Really interesting, and I am very much looking forward to your in-depth comparison with other luxury lines. If possible, can you do a segment on Solo traveller fares across these lines? I was interested that the MDR was open seating. So far, my only experience odd more luxurious cruising is upgrading to Grills and Club Balcony on Cunard. This has made me realise that I really do appreciate having open dining but with a dedicated table for the duration of the cruise. You get the flexibility of dining when convenient but the benefit of the same waiters and fellow guests every night, which makes a lovely atmosphere. Thanks again for your super detailed and informative videos, they are so helpful.
There is absolutely no trouble with requesting a table for one in any of the restaurants on board a Regent Shop.
The Explorer is my favorite Regent ship. It just has that James Bond look to it.
Thank you...very informative and helpful. We are loyal and exclusive to Celebrity...we love the staff, food and size of the ships...but have been tempted to try Regent and Oceania.
A detailed and well-informed video as always. I'm currently not at a point in my life where I would really consider doing an ultra luxury line, and this review solidifies that stance. At some point I'd like to try out this experience with my wife, but I think we'll stick with the premium lines (particularly Celebrity and Virgin) for now.
Thanks so much for watching and really appreciate your feedback.
My thoughts from viewing their menus is that the food offerings are stuck back in the 1960s. While there’s nothing wrong with classic dishes, for that level of premium cruise, you’d expect their kitchen to offer a bit more innovation.
It was a pleasant surprise to find myself in your video. I agree that Pacific Rim is the best specialty restaurant.
Great video and I by and large agree with your comments. On thing puzzles me though. You said you couldn't book the specialities until you boarded. I already have all three booked for our upcoming December cruise. It's true Concierge and above can book even earlier than Superior on down, but all cabin grades can book at some point pre-cruise.
Agreed-I always get advance reservations.
Seabourn's method of meeting the bus at peir side (with electronic notifications on thier Source app) beats Regent's antiquainted nanny state system of all going to the grand salon to exchange your tickers for bus passes instead of just allowing tour goers to just get off the ship and go to the bus..
We tried Regent on a two week cruise. All was great except for the food. While very good we found the service was slow and several restaurants served food which were not as hot as it should be.
When going on an ultra luxury cruise we hold the ship to a higher standard than a lower price line. We will try them one more time.
Great video. We just booked our first Regent cruise 8 months in advance and were disappointed that the "included" tours we wanted, and were still advertised, were actually fully booked! Disappointment doesn't make for a good first impression.
Feels wrong to have to pay extra for much touted "included" tours. At least Saga are upfront with their included tours i.e. free simple sightseeing and if you want more there is a nominal charge. Why don't Regent just add in another coach for popular tours?
It’s hard to justify paying almost the same-sometimes more!-money, for Silversea or Crystal when Regent includes shore excursions.
They also were exceptionally accommodating to my gluten free needs.
What seals the deal is they do my laundry--beautifully. This was an absolute joy. The staff is pleasant and exceptional. The shore excursions are well organized and well executed.
I am now loyal to Regent-would rather cruise less often but have an exceptional experience.
Thanks again for your professional approach to YT reviews . Nice if you could do some of the cruises out of Sydney for us downunder ?
I would love to. I am doing the Kimberly next year but that of course is niche as expedition and not the classic ones sailing from Sydney. I was trying to get one when I head down under this Christmas but it dod not work with the plans... but have it on my list for sure!
Wi-fi through Starlink on your Royal Caribbean suite 14:11 wasn't an add-on as you say, but was included (but for one device as you note in your review of your suite experience on Symphony).
Thanks for the review Gary. This jibes with what we found on our Regent Splendor cruise in the Caribbean. Ship was amazing, staff were great, food was good (Pacific Rim was outstanding), and culinary kitchen was fantastic. On the con side, you are right about the excursions. They tend to be pretty boring (mostly highlight tours) and the more interesting ones were sold out immediately. As to the passengers, we did tend to find them “entitled” and I could count on one hand the number of times we herd the passengers thanks the staff (maybe it was our particular sailing, as this was our first sailing). The most frustrating thing were the chair hogs. EVERY day there were no chairs to be had as they were all pretty much taken by 9am. I even went out at 6am one morning (as I woke up early) and many chairs were already reserved. It will be a while before we will try Regent again.
Gosh, we recently got back from a Mediterranean trip and that wasn’t our experience at all. It was a varied group and lots of lovely, friendly people. I didn’t see a problem with chairs being reserved either
@@traceybartlam7737 That’s good to hear. Hopefully it was just that one cruise. We will keep Regent on the possibility list because they do have quite interesting itineraries and smaller ships which enjoy.
I cruised on Oceania Marina before I cruised on Regent Splendor. Oceania by far had the better food and afternoon tea. Regent had the absolute best service. I had a concierge veranda on Oceania and only a G2 stateroom (2 levels from the lowest) on Regent. Many more amenities were included on Regent than Oceania and my stateroom was bigger on Regent. Also, my room attendants on Regent were outstanding.
I LOVE THOSE Kumamon bears // so much i bought a luggage tag with their face on it
Gary I would call the decor of the ship vintage but comfortable .
Hey Gary, I booked on SilverSea and was disappointed to realize that only a few excursions are included. Anything that’s elaborate or more pricey is not included. They only have one or two available “free” excursions. Fortunately, I had my full choice of “free, included“ excursions.
Correction on dining. You can make 1 reservation for each specialty restaurant BEFORE booking and once onboard so 6 plus lunch on sea days. Between that, the main restaurant and La Veranda (Italian). Lots of variety from my perspective.
Your reviews are excellent. Do you often travel alone?
Agree Gary I would expect those little extra things and feeling of luxury, you pay a premium for these “luxury lines” Looks very nice but think I get just as good an experience on NCL.with more variety.
We have done 2 Regent cruises - one before covid and one this past summer. We enjoy the luxery and all inclusive! We have also done Oceania and Crystal (before bankruptcy) and enjoyed Regent and Crystal the most.
We could book all restaurants and excursions before the cruise and add more dining reservations once we got on ship (booked lower level suite).
The one big disappointment was the quality of included excursions this past summer. Hit and miss in each port on quality of the tour and people that ran them. Really not up to par with what we experienced the last time on Regent.
I don’t agree with your assessment that the regent ships are outdated. Silversea is grey grey grey. Regent is beautiful and warm. salt is the best on Silversea.
higher level suites allow early on line booking for speciality restaurants and tours.
Thanks for the videos. New to cruises. Booked our first this August on Cunard QG.
We have been looking at Regent or Silverseas for next year, so my question: which would you go for Silverseas or Regent?
We really can't stand queing for restaurants and having restaurant restrictions. Cheers
Lack of casual evening dining is a reason we’ve not considered Regent, though we have sailed with Oceania and Viking, neither of which hold much appeal as the guest capacities are larger than we prefer. May look into Seabourn.
What a wonderful service you provide with these exceptional videos! After seeing this, a luxury line does not appeal to me, and price is only part of the equation.
I, too, would miss some of the entertainment. The alcohol, wi-fi and excursions are not something I would need. We generally do independent excursions. Apparently pax are the same in every cruise line, as when we walk the steps for exercise dinner time there is always a long line of pax waiting to get into the MDR for dinner. We eat a variety of healthy fare, and have no need to spend extra monies or time searching for a gourmet experience. Considering we cruise for the ports, we eat at the buffet to save time and see a few shows. Dinner has become such a production on all lines (and slow at times).
It was also a problem on my recent Greenland/Canada cruise that pax would wait in line hours before tender tickets were to be distributed, just to get them (in case they might need them) and then not show for the tenders. This resulted in tenders running half full. Seems they were doing the same by scooping up "free" excursions places and not showing up. It is not to the cruise lines' credit they did not find a way to stop the no shows, especially with the excursions. We found the staff and crew to be very engaging, friendly and willing to converse on any line we have sailed. Service is excellent across the board.
Love your channel! I had a terrible experience on my 1st and last cruise which was NCL. Went in summer 2004 on an NCL to Hawaii and the crew had gone on strike! Half the crew members were gone so everything was a mess. Our "compensation" was a coupon to book our next trip. Don't they give those out anyway?!? Lol if I were to cruise again I would be hesitant to book any company by NCL.
Regent Seven Seas is NOT the same cruise line is NCL (Norwegian Cruise Line).
@cherifurr3935 Really? Because 36 seconds into the video, he says it's part of the Norwegian Cruise Lines group and then shows an image with logos, including one for NCL. I just assumed that was accurate!
This was very helpful for me. I have my first Silversea cruise booked for next summer. I am looking to try the other competing lines as well. Great info by comparing and contrasting them. Thank you.
Garry thanks for another excellent summary. We sail on Grandeur this November. One thing I struggle with in cruising is determining how much gratuity to leave. I know it's very subjective but this has bugged me a bit because I obviously don't want to be cheap and would like to reward a butler for their service but also don't want to unnecessarily part with money. It gets complicated with the "inclusive" cruises. For example on NCL, their included gratuities do not cover Haven butlers or concierge, whilst on MSC Yacht Club they actually do include them. Do you ever tip in addition to the included gratuities for your butlers and cabin stewards? If so what's a reference dollar point is considered reasonable?
I’m off on Viking in a few days to South America for the Penguin cruise. I get brochures from Regent but I might miss the enrichment that Viking offers. Thanks for this information on Regent!
Cost runs about the same on Viking as on Regent when you include business class air, solo cruising,and the spirits package plus shore excursions.
Have fun!
As you are running out of ships, lines and places to go - a good problem to have! - I'd love to see you try Crystal 2.0, Gary. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it's one of the very few lines you haven't covered (yet). I've sailed with them pre-bankruptcy, and I'm wondering if its the same, better, or worse. I'm probably not the only one in your audience wondering this. Cheers.
I went on Crystal some time ago but not been on the new Crystal and will be, though only booked fro February 2025
We are going on Oceania Marina next year in a Penthouse Suite. I am going to price out a Celebrity Cruise line (our go-to cruise line) Celebrity Suite and add up the cost for each and see what the apples-to-apples comparison, cost wise is. Betcha not that different.
I agree with your assessment. Retreat pricing has skyrocketed up and it makes no sense now vs. going on an ultra luxury line.
Maybe a common question but i couldn't find it.
With camera did you take the walking shots (you can't see the camera and the pole, only there shadow)
Thx for the content and info again 👍🏻
As always:
Greetings from the Netherlands 🇱🇺
👍🏻
Great video not sold on Regent after your review. Thank you.
We've done two Regent cruises, Eastern Caribbean and Transatlantic and they were both fantastic. We were on the Explorer and the Splendor, both out of Miami (where we live.) Yes, it is very expensive, but you get a lot for your money. My favorite restaurant in the world is Pacific Rim aboard the Explorer. This summer we're cruising on Viking to Iceland, it will be fun to compare.
I am traveling solo in October. My sister noticed on her cruise that staff members and entertainers would join singles they want company at dinner.
Having completed a 16 night cruise on “Navigator” we felt the ship fell well short of Regents marketing hype. To such an extent, if like us, it’s your first Regent experience, a second may not follow.
The Navigator is their oldest ship and it has issues. It needs to be retired!
We were on Navigator in July. It fell way short of our expectations....... dull, dull, dull.
I think you hit the nail on the head - it is all in what you want. My mom and I both love cruising but have yet to sail together because we both want very different things. We are kind of thinking of trying Celebrity in the Retreat because it seems like it might be a cross over that works for both of us. I am more Virgin Voyages while my mother leans Viking. 😂
The Retreat on Celebrity is getting price prohibitive for what you get in my opinion. We've done 6 or 7 cruises in the Retreat and the food selection, quality, and variety have dropped a bit. I can recite the breakfast menu by heart as it never changes. Now that gratuities are not included for the retreat, it is even less cost effective.
Because of this, my wife and I booked a Silversea cruise for the summer of 2024. We're also looking at booking Seaborn or Regent (maybe Viking?) for Australia in the future. The cost vs. the Retreat is not too much different.
If you go on Regent line which is part of the Intel group can you use latitudes points and do you get latitudes points
Hi, RSSC's web site says excursions can be reserved 300 days or less before cruising through their web site. I'm wondering what the situation was, why you had to book on the ship with short notice? Thanks again, we like your reviews!
Hi Gary, I can see by your videos you have been with lots of cruise lines. Can you tell me which one you thought was the best value for money please.
Any reason why you never incude The Ritz cruises?
I seem to recall that my friend MG paid US$600,000 for his 60th birthday cruise. A few other funny items: 1) His annual travel budget was upwards of US$500,000 per year 2) The funniest story I ever heard from him was when he went on his biennial world cruise, got mad one month in at the captain and hotel manager who were by that time arguing with each other in front of other passengers, so he left most of his luggage onboard and decamped to Rome, and then re-boarded a month later when the ship got around to Civitavecchia. BTW, he would have dinner in the crew mess just about as often as in one of the dining rooms.
QUESTION: Gary… we’ll be going on Regent /Japan Fall ‘25.
Do you really have to dress-up for dinner? If so, is there an alternative (other than room service)?
Thx
How good is good enough. Luxury is very subjective.
Not joking about those prices. Checked on a seven day cruise in Europe in October. All of the lowers suites are already booked out. The remaining ones are 12k+ per person. Not too sure I want to do that for the first cruise experience. 30th anniversary so want to do something special but maybe wan to try some less pricey cruises first.
Would love to try Regent or one of the ultra lux cruise lines, but I feel they may work for cruisers who are taking a holiday of a lifetime. We're cruising about 3 times a year, minimum 14 days each time, always mini suite club class on premium lines, so the cost of going up market is beyond our reach. Not sure that I mind either! I do love though the size of all the ultra lux ships!!
yes, as you say it's finding the right balance and what works with the budget! I agree, the smaller ships are the big plus
Depending on how many shore excursions you go on, I'm seeing only a slight difference in total cruise cost per day on Silversea vs. Celebrity Retreat pricing now. Most suites on Celebrity are $600/day per person plus gratuities! Add in a shore excursion if it is a port heavy itinerary and you're at Silversea prices.
Hi, that’s between 42-56 days a year currently why don’t you juggle your current cruises, do two two week cruises one three week cruise pick one cruise perhaps not club class and use what you have saved to sample a smaller luxury ship perhaps on a seven day just to see what they’re like. But take what I say with a grain of salt, since I have never taken one cruise in my life. Though I did crew for 6 months on a 147ft Luxury yacht that was built in the 1930’s for Henry Ford. When we gave a party at the Yacht club in Washington DC, one of the invited guests was Alexander Haig; President Reagan’s Secretary of State.
@@admranger We very rarely go on shore excursions. The sole exceptions were Iceland last year and St Petersburg in 2019;
Gary is the perfect presenter, not an "Umm" or an "Err" in sight
A little disingenuous about the entry lines at Sette Marie, Gary. I'll bet that queue at 6pm, the time it opens, cleared within a few minutes as they seated that peak, and anyone arriving a little later will not have waited long. On Splendor recently we had only one occasion where we arrived just before 8pm and were told of a 20 minute wait and went for a drink at the bar, but we were called forward before we'd even been served the drinks after just 5 minutes!
Do you think that Regent are charging a premium for things like the artwork, table settings and crystal chandeliers? I understand that these are meant to impress but do they actually add anything to the cruise experience.
Gary, in your honest opinion, who has the better food: Regent or Oceania?
While it's not a line I think is right for me, I enjoyed the review.
Thanks for watching. Agree, I also like watching reviews of lines not right for me too - often to confirm that 😂
@@tipsfortravellers I'd rather learn from the experiences of other people before making a mistake in picking a cruise line. The total cost of the vacation (compared to RCI) was an excellent piece of information.
I am in a position where I can afford any line I want, but I am looking to get value. I (a bit surprisingly) found the Disney Wish cruise I went on in September provided excellent value due to their entertainment being the type of things I love doing. It helped I'm a longtime Disney fan. Their huge staterooms, quality food, and included sodas were a bonus. Oh, and I doubt their social hosts get away with showing up to events an hour late, unshowered, and obviously hung-over.
I personally just ignore formal nights. Men have to wear nice pants and a collared shirt every night anyhow and that is enough
Hi Gary, you said in your video that you don’t drink alcohol so would u not prefer to go on a ship where alcohol is not included in the price of your cruise?
11:30 Didn't that guy used to own Jurassic Park?
Gary, how did Pacific Rim compare with Red Ginger on the Oceania ships? TIA
I think it’s better and have been on both. Lobster tempura, soft shell tempura and miso glazed sea bass are my favorites!
Regent was great on a recent cruise, food excellent far better than Oceania. Having said that both Regent and Azamara this year have provided better quality food than Oceania. We find it hard to understand the fixation with food on Oceania, having tried them for a second time this year we were again disappointed.
Totally disappointed on my recent transatlantic cruise on the Mariner. I found the food at best okay. I found passengers stodgy. And felt the ship was stuck in another cruise era...will never spend the money for such a dismal experince. I must say that my preferred cruise line is Viking which wipes the floor when compared with Regent.
Comparing apples and oranges.
This was not my experience at all!
At firat, I thought you were being overly critical. But then when you provided th4e comparison to standard cruise lines, perhaps not. I do think that folks who book a premium cruise line are more demanding.
Question: excursions- am I correct in thinking, that if yr time zone is last to wake up/ opposite to the "opening to book" time frame..... you would naturally miss out!
I believe that the opening booking time is based on Miami, Florida headquarters time. So if, for example, dining or excursion booking is available at 12:01 am March 1, we in Vancouver (3 hrs behind), log in to book at 9:01 pm to match Miami time. Always works!
I think I’ll stick with Seabourn Gary. Small ships and great treatment. Can’t say enough about them.
Gary was any caviar available on RSS Explorer ? I have heard with Seabourn you can have it served anytime.
Yes, on Sundays.
@@cherifurr3935 Thank you.
Gary missed out on comments about the entertainment on Regent. We hated our 16 day Norwegian fjord cruise recently. Abysmal entertainment, a pianist that didn’t sing in the observation lounge, Tony Bennet died while we were in our cruise but he just kept playing the same repetitive repertoire over and over. He didn’t know who Charles Aznavour was nor Edith Piaf! He had an iPad and could have just typed the names in and played the music but he didn’t bother. The. There were the two guys in the bar on their iPad. The main singer was off key non stop, ppl ran away from their music. Overall regent is a STERILE experience geared for a certain type of rich American clientele
Thanks for this review, Gary. I'd love it if you did a Regent v Oceania at some stage, perhaps after trying Vista in the new year. Do you think they still cater for two distinct markets, or the rebranding and refurbishment of the Oceania ships is starting to eclipse Regent, reflecting a more modern luxury?
Interesting idea as may be a good series to compare the lines within the different groups (so RSSC / Oceania / NCL all owned by same - though I guess the NCL difference will be obvious :-) !!0. This also raises another thought I have been toying with, which is is ask members to suggest videos they would like me to make in 2024 and then do a poll of the ideas on who like to see and commit to make at least the top 3 and try and work through as many as have lots of support... Thoughts? Would that be a good idea or just frustrate members!??
OMG! NCL doesn't begin to compare with the other two. That's like comparing Nordstrom with Target.@@tipsfortravellers
@@tipsfortravellersThat's a hard one because I think you are very open to ideas generally. You may want to retain 'artistic control' for the final decision to fit in with your themes for the year. On the other hand, getting viewers input will give you an idea of interest in a topic. As for polls, I can only speak for myself, they are a fun bit of interaction that take very little time. I like them😊
Having sailed on Oceania and 2 recent Regent cruises, I think Regent still exceeds Oceania overall.
@@joannbanks9963 Thanks for the response. Would that be because of service, inclusions or some other factor?
So it is like a Disney type experience vs a private club experience.
If I'm going on one of these ultra luxury lines, I don't go on them, but one you would recommend and destination? No places like Galápagos or Arctic, wife would not enjoy.
I loved my cruise from San Francisco to Vancouver (through Alaska) on the Mariner and my British Isles cruise from Southhampton to Southhampton on Splendor.
Ok, Gary ... I give up ... in those shots you took of yourself walking through the ship ... how do you make the selfie stick disappear? 🤔
The software "edits" it out
I use the Insta360 x3 with the "invisible selfie stick". The camera records using 2 lenses and total 360 and where the image merges it effectively removes the selfie stick. Though you do have to edit from 360 into what one sees, but fairly simple. This is what I have: amzn.to/3qa2BgO
@@tipsfortravellers Thanks ... figured it had to be something like that.
Thank you Gary....Just curious. Does Regent require any formal attire. i.e. are men required to wear jackets and or ties at supper time?
No
No :-) It was surprisingly casual. Many men wore collared shirt and slacks but jeans would not be an issue it seemed even though slacks is more the request
Thank you both. Really appreciate your input. We have been loyal Viking cruisers, but wanted to look into Regent. Not thrilled with how they handle shore excursions or dining reservations, but I'm still open to try them.
Thanks again.
Dear gery, in the lost video about regent in the you sed that you were highly impressed with the food and Its in the highest level at sea competing with cunard queens girl. this video you state that the food is kind on the same level with oceania cruises.
In your Point of View Wes there are down grade of the food or the food in oceana cruises is that good???
That you
Including all excursions, but only if you are lucky enough in the 'lottery' to book them is a FAIL
How do you feel about Silver Sea?
I really like them and going back end of January and will update my reviews as not been on the classic line since the pandemic shutdown
Is it business class airfare for domestic flights as well?
They say business for international only in their T&Cs
I'm going on my 1st regent cruise next Nov from UK on the new ship, the deal includes return business class flights and I am in a deluxe verandah cabin so i didnt have to upgrade my cabin either
Self Serve Laundries. That's where you get to meet your fellow passengers and catch up on all the gossip
Yes! It is a hot bed for that!!!
@@tipsfortravellers sadly no self serve laundries on HAL
On Regent Cruises do they have a craps table in the casino? Is Regent like NCL or RCCL?
A lot better than Norwegian Cruise Lines! And a lot less crowded with their smaller ships. Better food than RCL or NCL; but no large entertainment shows. Regent’s larger ships have an entertainment team of eight who do singing and dancing production shows, also guest entertainers like comedians and other specialty acts on longer cruises. No bumper cars, water slides, rock climbing walls, flow riders, water or ice skating shows on Regent! No Pacific Rim restaurant on the Mariner either.
@@cherifurr3935 Having been on both NCL and RCCL for at least one cruise each I know both those lines offer substandard cruises. The food isn't good, the service is worse. It was because of being on those lines that we went and tried the local food. Spend a lot of time in the gym, playing table tennis, and in the casino. Also, like to eat and have coffee and/or tea. My late wife liked the entertainment more than me. I like certain types of entertainment better than other types.
Are you planning to cruise the new crystal?
Yes. Though not until February 20025 as I have 2024 booked up!
@tipsfortravellers having cruised with them in 2016 and 2018 and having a cruise planned in 2024 I'm really looking forward to how you experience them! I can wait a few years 😄
Which South Africa Silversea are you going on? We are on Jan 12th 2024 14 day Cape Town to Cape Town
I’m on the one as you disembark
We just got off the Navigator in Papeete Tahiti. What a huge disappointment. We think Regent was just not good and not at all a luxury experience. (We let them know.) we find this particular ship very rundown; the food was sub par; the included wine selection was very weak. We will stick with Virgin, Viking and Celebrity for now and are considering Crystal. The amount of money Regent charges just isn’t worth it.